Magic Johnson outlined the Los Angeles Lakers' roster building plan for LeBron James during their initial meeting at the start of free agency on July 1st.

Sources say James has been consulted on their moves but have been executed at the direction of Johnson and Rob Pelinka.

The Lakers are attempting to chart a new course for James' future with the Lakers than the style of basketball he played with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Unlike most free agents changing teams, LeBron is arriving with the Lakers as an all-time great," a source close to James said. "He doesn't have pressure to prove anything. He wants some changes and he can afford to let the process breathe."

Cleveland prioritized specialists, many of them shooters.

Johnson pitched James a team stocked with tough-minded playmakers like Lance Stephenson and Rajon Rondo, which could free up James to finish in the lanes and from the post. Rondo and Stephenson are also switchable on defense.

"I know some people are rolling their eyes but I like what the Lakers have done," a rival Western Conference executive said. "You can find shooters. They've taken some in the last few drafts. Playmakers matter and are harder to find."

James has studied the careers of Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan, realizing that both players moved from the wing to the post as they aged.